Chair life-preserver.



No. 802,221. PATENTED 0GT.17,1905.

M. KUHNEN 2 A. $222122.

CHAIR LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.15,1905.

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No. 802,221. PATBNTED 0021111905. M. KUHNEN & A. SPADER.

CHAIR LIFE PRESERVBR.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB.15,1905.

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PATFN MATHIAS KUHNEN AND AUGUST SPADER, OF RONDOUT, NEXV YORK.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, MATHIAs KUHNEN and AUeUsT SrADEn, citizens of the United States, and residents of Rondout, in the county of U1- ster and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Chair Life-Preserver, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a chair which will serve all the functions of such an article, but which at a moments notice can be quickly and conveniently converted into a life-prcserver for use upon the water, the parts of the device when used as a life preserver being in the form of a raft.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a construction capable of serving the above named purposes, and which will be light, durable, and easily operated, and which can be locked in position as a chair or in position as a life-preserver.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and. pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the device used as a chair. Fig. 2 is perspective View of the device converted into a life-preserver.

- Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the device when used as a chair. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device when used as a life-preserver, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the side frame and seat for the device when used as a chair.

in the detail construction of the device we will describe the elements as grouped to form a chair.

The back A consists of two side standards 10 and 11, the lower portions of which serve as the rear legs for the chair, and such portions are connected by a rung 12. Between the upper portions of the said side standards the back frame is located, consisting of side pieces 13 and let, a top piece 15, and a bottom piece 16, all of which are secured to the said side standards, and within the space thus formed between the members of the back frame a cushion 17 is secured, consisting, preferably, of a cork body and a cover of canvas or the like, as is especially shown in Figs. 1 and The bottom frame B of the chair consists of a seat 18, having an opening 19 therein, preferably circular, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, which seat rests upon and is secured to side sills 20. The rear ends 21 of the side sills extend beyond the rear of the seat in order that pivots 22 may be passed through said ends into the side standards 10 and 11. The forward ends of the said side sills 20 do not extend to the forward end of the seat 18, and the said forward ends of the sills are provided with vertical tongues 23, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4E. Handles 2 1 and 25 are secured to the seat 18, and said handles are temporarily yet securely fastened to the side standards 10 and 11 when the device is used as a chair, hooks 26 being usually pivoted upon the standards to engage pins 27 upon the arms, as is shown in Fig. l.

in connection with the bottom frame B an auxiliary bottom 13 is employed, pivotally attached by suitable trunnions 28 to the forward end portion of the side sills 20, and this auxiliary bottom when the device is used as a chair folds rearwardly and snugly between the side sills 20. Preferably the auxiliary bottom B is provided with forward and rear transverse battens 29 and 30. This auxiliary bottom B is further provided near each side at its under face with a button 31, and when the auxiliary bottom is in position against the seat 18 it is temporarily held in such position by causing the buttons 31 to enter slots 32 in the inner face of the side sills 20, as is shown in Fig. 5, and a third button 33 is pivoted upon an offset 3 1, secured to the auxiliary bottom B between the buttons 31, the button 33 being employed as a fastening device for the auxiliary bottom when the device is used as a life-preserver, as will be hereinafter described.

One of the main purposes of the auxiliary bottom B is to carry a cushion 35, having a cork body and a canvas cover, which cushion when the device is used as a chair extends up through the opening 19 in the seat 18, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The front legs 36 are connected by an upper cross-bar 37, which is hinged to the under face of the seat 18 at the front, and by rungs 38. In the rear edges of the said front legs, at the top, grooves 39 are produced, which receive the tongues 23 on the side sills 20 when the front legs are in position to support the front of the said seat 18.

In order that the auxiliary bottom B may be held parallel with the seat 18, a transverse batten 40 is secured upon the cushioned face of the said auxiliary bottom B at its free end, which batten engages the bottom of the seat 18 when the device is in use as a chair, as is shown in Fig. 3. The front and the side legs are connected, preferably, by broad flat bars 4E1, offset from the outer faces of said legs, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, having curved hangers 452 at their end portions, said hangers being pivotally attached to said legs.

e desire it to be understood that the cushions 17 and 35 may be made of any material which will float or assist the article to which it is attached to float, and consequently the person carried by the article.

In operation, the elements being in the form of a chair, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, and it is desired to convert the device into a lifepreserver, the buttons 31 are disengaged from the side sills of the bottom B, and the auxiliary bottom B is then carried downward and forward until it rests against the rear faces of the rungs connecting the front legs. Then the rear legs and back are turned upon their pivots, so as to force the rear -legs into the space between the side sills 20 of the main bottom B, and consequently the forward legs, by reason of their connection with the rear legs, will be forced forward to a practically horizontal position, (shown in Figs. 2 and 1,) and the central button 33 will then be brought between the two rungs 38 of the forward legs. Upon turning this button 33 transversely of said rungs, as is shown in both Figs. 2 and 4, the auxiliary bottom B is tied or locked to the forward legs, and consequently the back section is held firmly in position in the seat. As the auxiliary bottom B is thus carried forward the cushion is carried out from the opening 19 in the seat 18, and the chair is then in the form of a raft, the back presenting a practically solid floatable surface at one end, the auxiliary bottom B presenting a similar surface at the opposite end, both of these surfaces being provided with cushions of cork or a like material, and the seat 18 forms a central support for the raftlike structure, enabling a person to sit thereon with the legs down or possibly passed through the opening and support themselves by the seat, the handles 2 1 25 acting as handholds for the person. The broad connecting-bars a1 when the parts of the device are folded to form a life-preserver extend out from the side portions of the preserver and serve likewise as handholds for persons making use of the same.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a combined chair and marine lifepreserver, comprising a bottom having an opening therein, and an auxiliary bottom carrying a cushion of buoyant material adapted to fit within said opening.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a chair comprising a main bottom having an opening therein, and an auxiliary bottom having a cushion of buoyant material within said opening, the several members of the structure being adapted to fold all substantially in a horizontal plane to form a raft-like marine life-preserver.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a chair comprising a main bottom having an opening therein, an auxiliary bottom having a cushion of buoyant material adapted to be secured within said opening, the several members of the structure being adapted to fold all substantially in a horizontal plane to form a raft-like marine life-preserver, and means for locking the several members in either of the positions to which they may be adjusted.

4. A combined chair and marine lifepre server, comprising a back section, a buoyant cushion attached thereto, a bottom section pivoted to the back section, a buoyant cushion carried by the bottom section, a front section pivoted to the bottom section, and rails pivotally connecting the front and the back sections.-

5. A combined chair and marine life-preserver, consisting of a back section, a buoyant cushion secured thereto, a bottom section having an opening therein, the bottom section being pivotally attached to the back section, an auxiliary bottom section having hinged connection with the main bottom at a point below the main bottom, a buoyant cushion secured to the auxiliary bottom, extending up through the opening in the main bottom, a frontsection pivotally attached to the forward portion of the bottom section, rails pivotally connecting the front and the back sections, and fastening devices for the sections, substantiall y as described.

6. A combined chair and marine life-preserver, comprising. a back section, a bottom section pivoted to the back section and provided with an opening in its upper portion, and arms at each side of the said opening, an auxiliary bottom section located below the main bottom section and having hinged connection therewith, a cushion carried by the auxiliary bottom section, adapted when the auxiliary and main sections are brought together to extend out through the opening in names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MATHIAS KUHNEN. AUGUST SPADER.

Vitnesses:

HARRY F. (moves, Fnnnnmon STEPHAN, J r. 

